In 1967, while Canada celebrated its centennial and magnificent Great Lakes ships were built and launched in Collingwood Harbour, an American bourbon distiller saw the perfect opportunity to establish a new distillery in Collingwood for the production of Canadian whisky. Brown-Forman acquired the distillery in 1971, and their successful Canadian Mist Whisky brand has been produced there ever since. In 2011, the Collingwood distillery launched a new premium artisanal brand, Collingwood Whisky, which uses locally-sourced ingredients and is crafted by dedicated local residents. It is made with pristine filtered water from Georgian Bay and grains from mainly Ontario farms, then aged in high-quality oak barrels and rested with toasted maplewood “staves”, resulting in a full-flavoured and complex whisky that is smooth with no harshness. In 2013, fifty barrels of 100% rye whisky were discovered on the premises, which was bottled and named Collingwood 21 Year Old Rye Canadian Whisky, and won top honours at the Canadian Whisky Awards in 2015. Brown-Forman then launched its limited edition Town Collection – Double Barreled Whisky in 2017, which is made from only one type of whisky and finished in heavily-toasted, lightly charred new oak barrels for a smooth and complex flavour. Collingwood Whisky has been a long-time supporter of its home town and has worked closely with the Save Our Lighthouse campaign to restore the Nottawasaga Lighthouse. The distiller also inspired the annual "Whiskylicious" event, which celebrates Collingwood's rich whisky heritage. It encourages attendees to sip responsibly while sampling unique Collingwood Whisky cocktails at participating restaurants and specialty food shops.